


Like Smoke

by apostapal



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Bloody Kisses, Comfort/Angst, Discussion of Mortality, M/M, Nosebleed, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 07:24:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10871955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapal
Summary: How do you go back to caring whether or not you live or die when you didn't for so long?





	Like Smoke

**Author's Note:**

> Small consolation prize for The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot being late this week because I'm working on a bigger consolation prize. Enjoy some sad shit because I know this ship is always dying for it.

_Essentially Immortal._ That was the phrase Angela had used to describe Gabriel’s ‘condition’. Mortality was different for him, largely nonexistent. Mortality was an inconvenience for others.

Mortality was so very intimately close with old Jack Morrison, however.

Mortality was the smoke rising off his cigarette. Mortality was the red smears across the back of his glove, fighting in vain to keep the droplets falling from his nose off his shirt. Mortality was sneering at him, just on the horizon, and he didn’t have anywhere to go but towards it.

It wasn’t fair, what they’d done. Looking back, he felt most guilty in the matter. He couldn’t die knowing Gabriel thought he hated him. Couldn’t die knowing Gabriel hated him. Now he couldn’t bare the thought of knowing Gabriel loved him when he was dying. Maybe if he’d left this alone this wouldn’t be so fucked up. Maybe how it was was somehow better.

He took another draw off his cigarette, eyes staring off into the middle distance, and felt blood slowly drip from his nose and down over his lips before sliding off his chin. Sniffed hard but couldn't stop it. It landed on his shirt and, far from caring, Jack kicked one of his legs out to stretch his knee. He left the other bunched up near his chest, one arm slung over it lazily, and blew smoke into the air over his head.

He didn’t hear Gabriel approach. That was normal before the whole smoke monster thing, at least. How a man who wore heeled boots and hunks of metal on a regular basis moved so silently had always been a bit of a mystery to him. But, then again, that was probably why he took to Blackwatch so much more easily than Jack would have; Jack didn't know how to move silently to save his life.

Instead, one moment he was alone and the next he simply wasn’t. There was a heavy weight against his leg, Gabriel’s thigh slumped against it, and a rag shoved unceremoniously into his vision.

“You get those often?”

His voice was distorted and rough but still Gabriel. He’d know him anywhere. Jack sighed and took the rag from him, holding it to his face with his free hand.

“Angela knows. Says it’s just weakness in the nasal passage. I’ve got worse issues.”

Gabriel’s shoulder bumped against him, then his head fell to rest against his shoulder. Jack shifted the rag stuffed against his nose to take another drag from his cigarette.

“You like just bleeding everywhere, then?”

Jack went to shrug and caught himself, not wanting to jostle Gabriel’s head. “Nah,” he said, “they’re just normal.”

Gabriel knew enough to understand that years of combat and his current vice weren’t exactly kind to him. Jack didn’t have to explain that. But he felt the other man sigh when he puffed smoke up into the air above them.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What?”

“Avoiding me.”

Jack swallowed thickly. “Seems… wrong. What I did.”

“Save me?” Gabriel scoffed. “Jack…”

“Not that. I’m so glad you’re back, Gabe. You’re my favorite person. But…” Jack took another draw off his shrinking cigarette, dumping the ashes off on the ground between his legs. “It’s cruel. I’m going to leave you all alone. I finally get you back and I’m fucking dying. I’m dying quicker than usual and you’re not--possibly ever.”

Gabriel sighed again. Jack felt him shift, one hand sliding over to rest on his chest. It slid up, pressing against the space near his collar bone, and Gabriel shifted onto his knees with a grace Jack envied. When he finally met his eyes they were soft and warm and, _by God_ , he didn’t deserve a second of it. It wasn’t pity, it wasn’t sadness. It was just the rawest affection possible.

“Jack…”

Jack looked back at him mournfully and snuffed out the remains of his cigarette on the wall behind him. “I can’t do this to you. We lost each other once. It broke you…” He reached out and cupped Gabriel’s cheek, blood smearing across the cool skin. “It’s not fair.”

Gabriel nodded. “Few things are, Jack.” he said, “You take what you can when you can. Little graces.”

Jack dropped the rag from his face, nose still bloodied but largely done flowing, and Gabriel leaned in. Kissed him like he didn’t taste like copper and smoke and sorrow. Like he was made of hope and safety, like they were before they went and became sad old men. When he pulled away his face was bloody. Jack reached out and wiped at it uselessly, smiling softly.

“I’m a fucking mess.”

“Always have been.” Gabriel replied. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to Jack’s. “Never stopped me.”

“You sure..?”

Gabriel nodded before he even finished his question. “Never been more. You’re just going to have to find peace knowing you’ll die loved.” He laughed faintly. “What a struggle.”

Jack kissed him again, abrupt and coppery and rough. Hands digging into the front of his shirt. They broke apart when his eyes started to sting.

“I’m sorry.” he said, voice wavering. “I’m so sorry, Gabe.”

Gabriel leaned in, pulling Jack’s face against his shoulder, and shook his head.

“I forgive you.”

And maybe he didn’t deserve it. Maybe Gabriel didn’t know the gravity of what he was forgiving yet. But it didn’t matter.

Mortality was on the horizon. Red smears and harsh edges. But it wasn’t there yet.


End file.
